Perimenopause: It’s Not a Vibe Check… It’s a Clinical Diagnosis

Written By Rachel Faleide

Perimenopause isn’t diagnosed by a single lab value or a random blood draw on a Tuesday.
It’s diagnosed the old-fashioned way: by listening to your history and symptoms.

Hormones during perimenopause behave like:

  • Your Wi-Fi in 2004

  • A Tamagotchi you forgot to feed

  • The volume knob on a car radio with a loose wire

They swing. Constantly. Dramatically. Without warning.

So while labs can be drawn, hormone levels can be high one week and low the next — which means a “normal” result doesn’t always mean nothing is going on. (Looking at you, “everything looks fine” report.)

For most women, the most helpful tools are:

  • A detailed symptom history

  • Basic blood work

  • A provider who actually listens

Not a magic hormone number.

If you’ve had a hysterectomy or endometrial ablation but still have ovaries, your body may still throw classic perimenopause symptoms like:

  • Hot flashes (aka internal spontaneous combustion)

  • Night sweats (why is the bed wet?)

  • Vaginal dryness (the Sahara, but personal)

Since periods are no longer part of the story, lab work becomes more useful — not as the main character, but as supporting evidence.

Bottom line:
If your body feels like it’s running Windows 95 while the world expects iOS 18 — you’re not imagining it. And no, you’re not “too young.”

Rachel Faleide
Next

How Do I Know If I’m in Menopause?